Hi guys,

Grade 12 high school student here at the intersection of choosing a university. But, I'm wondering, what do you guys think the future of Computer Engineering in the States/Canada will be?

Would a master's degree be needed in this industry/will I benefit from a master's degree when finding a job, or will the trend favour work experience more?

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HELP I HAVE 2 DAYS LEFT

I’m a Canadian student, and I can’t decide between UIUC Computer Engineering and Waterloo Computer Engineering Co-op (or CS Co-op). I want to work in the States after graduating. I enjoy both hardware and software, thus I applied for Computer Engineering for most to all schools. I have 4-5 project experiences with building my own things in high school.

I’m currently stuck in between:

UIUC:

Pros:

• Very respected engineering school, ranked #5 in the States for CE
• Better campus vibe
• Giant alumni network in big tech companies

Cons:

• International tuition is around 100k CAD more. My parents told me not to worry about cost, but I don’t want to burden them with 100k.
• Might be harder to find co-ops/internships by myself

Waterloo 1A:

Pros:

• One of the best Eng schools in Canada
• Structured co-op program (with WaterlooWorks)
• Will have many work experiences by graduation

Cons:

• Don’t really like the campus vibe
• Finding a co-op/job in the states is not guaranteed and might be hard

For Waterloo: How easy is it for me to find co-ops in the States to better position myself for jobs in the States after graduation?

Dilemma:

• Both schools have recruitment visits from companies
• Can’t forecast visa policies and stuff in the next 4-5 years
• Both schools are great😭

I personally like hardware and software equally, so I prefer CE more than CS for Waterloo, but if the job market in 4-5 years (at my time of graduation) favour CS more, then I can also go with CS.

Thanks!

HELP I HAVE 2 DAYS LEFT

I’m a Canadian student, and I can’t decide between UIUC Computer Engineering and Waterloo Computer Engineering Co-op (or CS Co-op). I want to work in the States after graduating. I enjoy both hardware and software, thus I applied for Computer Engineering for most to all schools. I have 4-5 project experiences with building my own things in high school.

I’m currently stuck in between:

UIUC:

Pros:

• Very respected engineering school, ranked #5 in the States for CE
• Better campus vibe
• Giant alumni network in big tech companies

Cons:

• International tuition is around 100k CAD more. My parents told me not to worry about cost, but I don’t want to burden them with 100k.
• Might be harder to find co-ops/internships by myself

Waterloo:

Pros:

• One of the best Eng schools in Canada
• Structured co-op program (with WaterlooWorks)
• Will have many work experiences by graduation

Cons:

• Don’t really like the campus vibe
• Finding a co-op/job in the states is not guaranteed and might be hard

Dilemma:

• Both schools have recruitment visits from companies
• Can’t forecast visa policies and stuff in the next 4-5 years -> companies hiring Canadians might be negatively influenced by policies
• Both schools are great😭

I personally like hardware and software equally, so I prefer CE more than CS for Waterloo, but if the job market in 4-5 years (at my time of graduation) favour CS more, then I can also go with CS.

Thanks!